


Stay With Me?

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Comforting Dean Winchester, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings, Gen, Hurt Castiel, Hurt/Comfort, Sleep, but also just as bromance, can be read as destiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 04:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13158975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “I am unable to sleep, Dean. My head doesn’t seem to want me to.”A newly human Cas has trouble falling asleep at night, when Dean finds him and tries to help.





	Stay With Me?

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Supernatural.

When Dean passed by Cas’ room in the bunker in the middle of the night, he was surprised to still see light coming through the bottom of the door. Cas had excused himself hours ago claiming he was too tired to join their movie night. Judging by how he couldn’t even keep his eyes open during dinner, he should long be asleep now. Sure, he could just have forgotten to turn off the lights, but Dean had a bad feeling. The poor guy hadn’t been human for long, who knew what was going on inside his head. 

Taking a deep breath, Dean quietly pushed open the door. Checking on Cas for a moment wouldn’t hurt anyone, right? He’d just quickly make sure everything was okay. 

When he spotted Cas sitting on the end of his bed, staring to the floor with a forlorn expression on his face, Dean hurried to his side. 

“Cas? Cas, buddy, what’s going on?” he asked and sat down next to his friend. When Cas showed no sign of even hearing him, Dean was pondering his next move. Comforting people, talking about feelings and all this chick-flick-crap wasn’t his strong side, usually Sam was responsible for the emotional part. No. Dean pulled himself together. He wouldn’t chicken out now, not when it was about Castiel. 

A deep shudder went through Cas’ body and Dean tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder. After a few moments tired eyes looked up to him. “I am unable to sleep, Dean. My head doesn’t seem to want me to.”

Dean’s heart constricted painfully in his chest. It was just wrong for Castiel, a former Angel of the Lord, to sound so small and utterly lost. 

He sighed. “That’s normal, Cas. I guess it’s one of the not so great sides of being human.”

“But I don’t understand. I am wearing my sleep clothes, the temperature in this room is acceptable and I was lying on a bed.” Cas furrowed his brows. “Closing my eyes should have made me fall asleep.” If it hadn’t been two in the morning, Dean would have chuckled at the confused expression on Cas’ face. He looked like a he was trying to figure out a challenging math problem. 

“Uh, I’m sorry, but that’s not exactly how it works, man.” Dean cleared his throat, he wasn’t sure how to go from there. “You know, sometimes, when there is a lot going on in your life, it’s harder to relax.”

“I understand. But I was told my body requires rest to function appropriately. I feel tired.” He would’ve sounded like a whiny toddler if there hadn’t been an ever so slight tremble in his voice.

“Believe me, I know. Frankly, you look like shit,” Dean said, tightening his grip around Cas’ shoulders for a moment. “You know, when Sammy was small and wasn’t able to sleep he used to climb into my bed.” Dean smiled a bit at the memory. “Once, when he was 11 or 12, Dad went on a hunt in Nebraska, there was a Wendigo or something. He left us at this really shabby motel and he promised to call in the evening.” Dean snorted. “He probably forgot or just didn’t care. Anyways, he didn’t call. Sam was worried sick, but I finally got him into bed. When I woke up in the middle of the night he stood by the foot of my bed and just stared at me. He was afraid that he was too old to still climb into my bed. The moment he hit the mattress he was out like a light.” Dean smiled slightly and trailed off. 

Cas was snoring lightly, head resting on Dean’s shoulder. Sometime during the story, he must have fallen asleep. Dean felt a sudden urge of protectiveness towards his friend. Without the deep worry lines etched into his forehead Cas looked much younger and painfully vulnerable. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that he actually was just as human as them now. All things considered he had been adapting remarkably well so far, apart from some minor accidents. (Yes, it’s apparently possible to melt a pan while making breakfast.)

Dean was torn from his thoughts when Cas stirred. Muttering something intelligible, he pressed his face into Dean’s neck and exhaled softly. 

As much as Dean hated to disturb the peaceful look on Cas’ face, he had to move him into a more comfortable position or he’d wake up with a terrible crick in his neck. Sighing, he shook Cas’ by the shoulder. “Come on, buddy, we can’t stay like that all night. Let’s get you to bed, okay?” Instead of answering, Cas just groaned blearily when Dean started to tug him back and carefully settled him on the mattress. 

After draping a blanket over his friend, Dean stepped back from the bed and turned to leave the room, when a small voice called him back: “Dean? Could you, maybe, ummm … stay? I mean, here, with me?” Cas awkwardly trailed off and wrung his hands. His voice had lost it’s usual formal tone, now he just sounded like a frightened kid.

When Dean didn’t answer right away, he looked up again. “You know what, forget it, it’s stupid, I’m stupid. It’s late, you should go. To bed, I mean. your bed. You know. To sleep and -” 

“Hey, shhhhh, you need to calm down.” Dean finally interrupted the rambling. “You know, if you want me to, I can stay.” He dragged the chair over and threw his feet up on the mattress. “See? It’s fine.”

Cas’ eyes finally met his again, and Dean could see an overwhelming sense of gratitude in them. Whatever Cas wanted to say was cut off by a big yawn. 

Dean chuckled. “Go to sleep, man. I won’t leave, I promise.”

It didn’t take long for Cas’ breathing to even out, and when Dean’s hand found its way into his hair, he subconsciously leant into the touch. Dean kept his hand there long after Cas had fallen asleep, occasionally stroking his hair in a soothing gesture. 

Sam peeked through the crack of the door in the morning and smiled inadvertently at the sight in front of him. Deciding to let them sleep he quietly pulled the door closed. Sam hadn’t seen his brother look that peaceful in a long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Tell me what you think, I always love comments :)


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